Utilization of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is rapidly increasing in private, commercial, and military applications. These aircraft are powered aerial vehicles capable of flight either under human control or autonomously, and may be designed to function as traditional rotary wing, multi-rotor, or fixed-wing platforms. UAVs are frequently deployed in efforts related to search and rescue, meteorological assessments, traffic surveillance, agricultural crop monitoring, and others, and are capable of performing highly diverse and increasingly complicated missions. Mechanisms for safe and effective launching is a significant area of current interest and a variety of means have been employed, including horizontal take-off and landing (HTOL) when a prepared surface is available, catapulted or zero-length rocket-powered launches when runways are precluded, and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL). In generally limited cases hand-launching may be employed if the UAV is sufficiently light and has a sufficiently low stall speed.
A developing mission area that is of particular interest to many entities in the defense and commercial sectors is that of UAV swarming, which requires multiple UAVs to be launched in a relatively short period of time. Under these scenarios, the launcher must provide sufficient force for launch in a relatively fast cycle in order to maximize the usability of the entire swarm once airborne. Further, if such a launch is intended from relatively remote areas, the launcher needs to provide this with relatively compact, transportable design and with a relative minimum of force-bearing components to enhance reliability. Additionally and ideally, the launcher should require a minimum of consumables such as compressed air canisters or other motive means in order to enhance its overall portability and operational independence.
Provided here is a UAV launcher system capable of launching multiple UAVs in rapid succession using a conveyor system mechanism, where the conveyor system mechanism is driven by a DC motor controlled by a motor controller. The motor controller is typically an intelligent motor controller capable of issuing speed commands based on software instructions, so that the linear velocity of the conveyor system may be controlled within strict parameters. A UAV is motivated over rail guides and to launch by a wedge interface coupled to the conveyor. The motor controller drives the DC motor through a motor speed profile in order to accelerate the DC motor and conveyor to a specific launching velocity over a launch length defined by the frame of the UAV launcher and the placement of the driver and driven wheels thereon. A UAV is motivated over rail guides and to launch by a wedge interface coupled to the conveyor in a manner which typically observes acceleration limits dictated by the UAV. The UAV launcher thereby provides an effective means to accelerate a UAV to a launching velocity under defined limits in a manner which provides for operator safety and rapid successive operation, in order to support operations requiring multiple UAVs to be launched in a relatively short period of time.
These and other objects, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood with reference to the accompanying description and claims.